House of Rogues
by Letsilteal
Summary: What happened when Victoria was taken from the people and home that she knew and placed among fierce aliens that she couldn't understand? She didn't know the reason the why they were keeping her alive and she feared for her life. She didn't know her life with these aliens would turn out so vastly different than what she had originally thought.
1. Chapter 1

**This is indeed my first fanfic to write. I often write short stories and have bigger plans for other stories I have written plans for but thought I would test out my luck on a fanfic story. Yes I do play Destiny alongside my husband. Been a game player since I was 10 and back then it was Tomb Raider. Writing this will be slow because of my lifestyle. I am a stay at home mom with a seven year old girl and eight month old baby boy and a college student. Just a quick rundown. This story is about a woman who is captured by the Fallen House of Winter for the purpose of studying the humans but turns out she ends up gaining a family instead and doesnt remain a prisoner for long. She is not a Guardian either. She is rather a simple botanist. I will create a kick ass female character though for later on in the chapter although it will be a bit before you meet her. If you have any questions about the plot or anything just ask and I will answer you best I can but I wont reveal everything lol. As for character name pronounciation the one I feel might need a bit of explanation is Tyalk. His name is pronouned just like the Stargate character of Teal'c, my favorite Stargate character by the way. Please excuse any bit of mistakes. I am trying to do a better job with grammar and such so if I make a mistake it is ok to try and help me make corrections. Had this chapter done for a little over a couple of weeks and chapter two wont be far behind. It is actually almost finished up. The only things I own in this story are my characters and creations.  
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Chapter 1

Victoria sat beside Skaylsis wondering deep in her thoughts. She ran her fingers through her long black hair, grey streaks showing her elder age. Beautiful music played in the background, mostly romantic songs accompanied by beautiful music and each song struck beautiful and cherished memories that she had held onto for so long. Skaylsis, the awe inspiring Kell of the House of Rogues, noticed the look on his old friends face. Propping his head on his sharp clawed hand as he leaned in her direction, he sought to distract Victoria from wherever her deep thoughts were taking her. She never noticed. Her beautiful blue eyes looked into the distance of the throne room as if she was watching her memories play out in front of her. Skaylsis cleared his throat which was enough to snap her out of her longing daze. She blinked her eyes then turned to face her beloved old friend smiling at his inquisitive look.

"I'm so sorry Skaylsis. Was I ignoring you?" Victoria asked. Skaylsis could tell she was sincere but he didn't mind one bit. He knew something interesting was going on in that intriguing mind of hers. Standing up he stretched out and began to descend the steps to his throne, motioning for her to accompany him in the process.

"Not at all Victoria. I am just curious as to what has you so distracted. You feel like sharing your thoughts?" He asked while offering her his right upper arm and crossing his lower arms before they began walking.

Victoria took his arm and the walk began. She stayed silent for a moment wondering where he was leading her to.

"So where are we going?" She asked Skaylsis just before they left the throne room.

"I thought a walk might do you some good today." He replied as he guided her down the main hall.

They continued to walk for a few minutes before Victoria spoke up about her memories.

"I was just remembering back when no one would have ever thought that you could become a Kell." She said.

"Back when the House of Winter still stood." Skaylsis replied. Yes he could very well remember those days. The days when he was nothing but a young dreg and also the days when Victoria was just a lowly human that Draksis was intent on keeping around almost like a mere pet. She was never harmed but was definitely utilized for the study of human life. The turning point of his life as well as his family and the entire House of Winter came when Draksis decided to go against Fallen moral and everything the Fallen had stood for in their ancient history. In a way Victoria was almost the cause of all the chaos. After Draksis had been slain by Guardians, and after weeks of bickering among the Fallen that sought to save their broken house, they found their way out of their own darkness and rose up as the House of Rogues, dawning the color black and the symbol of a lion to represent them. Victoria was a part of this immense part of history.

When they stopped in the gardens not too far from the throne room Skaylsis inquired, "You are nervous today aren't you?"

Victoria couldn't hide it. She was nervous because her only son Juleni was out on patrol, but it wasn't his first time and he wasn't a dreg or a vandal anymore but had excelled to the rank of captain just like his father Tyalk. It was however his first time leading a patrol.

"Yes Skaylsis you could say that. It is Juleni's first time as a captain on patrol. I just didn't think about how much it would hit me that my dear son is no longer a child and yet I still feel the worry any mother would have for his safety." Victoria replied as she let go of his arm to play with a daybreaker rose admiring its beautiful orange and red hue.

Skaylsis smiled inwardly at Victorias status. She had always been a deeply caring soul ever since they had become great friends. She was even caring in the beginning towards beings that she had been taught were the enemy as she had grown up. He nodded acknowledging her emotions before replying, "I assure you my nephew will be just fine out there. He could very well replace me as Kell someday and you know it to be true. He is not just like any other Fallen or human. You and Tyalk have done well raising him and although he is a half breed, by all means he is unlike any warrior anyone here has ever seen."

Victoria looked back at Skaylsis and met his all seeing eyes. She knew it was true what he said. It was not just some made up speech to calm her nerves but was most certainly the truth. Juleni was half human and half Fallen, something that was only a preconceived idea by Draksis at first but had became a reality. Juleni would be fine as his human and Fallen characteristics had made a very unique individual, not just in his amazing physical features, but in his mind and personality. He was definitely a good candidate for a future Kell.

"You are right as usual. I need not worry so badly about him." She said as she carefully inspected her roses.

Skaylsis bowed to her like a gentleman and replied, "Glad I could reassure you dear sister. I shall return to the throne room. You may of course do as you please but do not make me hover around you like a fly. You know you will never be able to swat me away if I should find reason to stay right beside you all day."

Skaylsis knew that Victoria needed some time alone to think in tranquility and her garden was the perfect place for just such an occasion. Some memories that he could recall of their earlier years with her were not good memories. They were the days when the House of Winter was still standing. The House of Winter was already falling apart because of Draksis in those days. They were stressful times for all. He would certainly come back to check on Victoria later in the day before Tyalk and Juleni returned from their patrols.

Victoria smiled as she watch Skaylsis turn and walk out of the room, his black cloak waving in the breeze that came through the window of the room. Skaylsis had always been an exception to normal Fallen personalities and it was this personality that was important in the rising of the House of Rogues. One such example of this sort of thinking was their home. They did not live in a Ketch as most houses in the solar system did. It was a mansion within a fortress that they had built shortly after raising up as the House of Rogues. Set out in an area on Venus called the Dead Valley as it was known. It had received the name because no one could fly in the area or communicate with the outside world from within its borders. They had their own specific types of travel for this zone that the House of Rogues now called their home. Not even the Vex could function inside its borders.

Victorias thoughts turned back to her memories as she began to tend to her garden. She was twenty four years old when she had been captured by a Fallen patrol on Venus. She had been sent there as a botanist with a team of experts and Guardians to gather research on an unknown plant species that had been recently found by a Guardian on patrol. It was rumored that the plant could have powerful healing properties and could prove very useful in the field of medicine. Little did she know that she would not be going home to Earth after the trip. Her life was about to change in a way she could never imagine.

There were twenty people in all headed to Venus which included 5 scientists, 9 botanists, and 6 Guardians for protection against the dangers the planet had to offer in those days which were namely the Vex and the Fallen. The two alien races were in a growing war for control of Venus and both were very dangerous. They would be performing their research in what was thought to be a safe cave off the coast of the Venutian ocean where the plant which was a fern seemed to be growing. It was very close to the Ishtar Sink which could prove a challenge should they encounter Vex or even Fallen patrols but the importance of the mission was too great to ignore.

They had set up camp with no problems at all. They would only be on the planet during the daytime when the Fallen were said to be less active on the surface. The Vex however were not thought to go anywhere near the ocean which was fortunate. During the evening they would return their ships to sleep in safety. Two weeks was all the time that was allotted and that was only if they did not see any Fallen ships nearby as they could be spotted and possibly attacked. The mission was definitely dangerous in nature but being naïve and young, Victoria ignored warnings to go no further than the boundaries set by the Guardians and also the rule they had all agreed to which was to never go anywhere without a small group which would include above all else a Guardian. This was a huge mistake and it was also the mistake that would force Victoria to grow up and lose her careless notions.

It was nearing time to leave the planets surface for the evening and Victoria figured she had just enough time to gather some spare samples of the unknown species of Venus fern. Everyone was too busy in the hustle and bustle of getting the supplies packed away and hidden from sight that they didn't notice a missing member of the research team. Being head strong and also new on the job, Victoria assumed she would be able to gather the samples without much trouble as the coast seemed pretty clear of any threats and no sightings of Vex or Fallen had been found.

Further careful thinking about her choice prodded her to convince a dear friend of hers, Joseph to come along with her. Joseph was a warlock that was among the six Guardians assigned to keep the safety of the research crew and had known Victoria since she had first began training to become a botanist. The two became close friends as he was assigned to be Victorias guard on most occasions when the botany apprentices were sent to the surface of Earth to learn what wild herbs and vegetation lay about the ruins on the ground. There were gardens within the city but those plants would never be close to finding what was waiting in the wild. There were only a few rare occasions where a Guardian would have to actively protect a charge while on these little excursions and only once did Joseph ever have to fight off a patrol of Fallen when Victoria stubbornly ignored his warnings.

Joseph knew it was a bad idea but he knew Victoria would just be thinking, "To hell with your better judgement." and be off on her own without him. Victoria was a sweetie but she was definitely very curious and this curiosity was akin to such ancient sayings as, "curiosity killed the cat!" In Josephs case it was, "Curiosity killed the Victoria if it hadn't been for the warlock." A little annoyed with her but all the same feeling concerned he set off with Victoria on a little expedition just three miles down the coast from where the safety of the camp was located. Joseph knew the area well as he had often patrolled it and collected bounties from this area. They were going to be on the edge of hostile territory known as the Shattered Coast.

"Alright this is far enough Victoria." Joseph said holding out his arm in front of her.

Victoria looked annoyed and with an eyebrow raised at him she asked, "Really? Only this far?" She knew they were not as far down the coast as she would like to be and she was pretty sure they were barely past two miles down the coast.

Joseph rolled his eyes and chuckled to himself as he annoyingly replied,"Yes! This is it if you would rather get back before we get left here on the surface." He knew they were just over two miles down the coast and he also knew that Victoria wasn't dumb. She knew and he could tell by the look on her face that she did.

"We are barely past two miles down the coast. What I need is at least one mile further down." Victoria said with obvious annoyance in her voice.

The two stared at each other for a small moment before Victoria finally broke down, "Oh come on Joe this isn't right. I know theres got to be a lot of fern up there. Just feel the soil! It is rich in nutrients and real moist. I promise it wont take long at all. I just need a few more samples of the fern and the soil."

Joseph watched as her beautiful blue eyes pleaded with him in that soft look that he hated for her to throw on him. She was about to break him and she knew it.

"Promise I will hurry. I wont waste one moment and I will buy you lunch back at the tower for a full week straight." Victoria added in with a twinkle in her eyes. She knew just where to hit Joseph hard and it was definitely the stomach.

Joseph knew this trick but he couldn't get past it. He sighed and Victoria inwardly cheered with a smile on her face as they began to walk again.

"I swear you are worst than my little sister Victoria. Better make it two weeks worth of lunch for where we will be when we hit this extra mile." Joseph said as he led a very pleased Victoria down the coast to her destination.

As the two continued on Victoria agreed to Josephs warning to be quiet the rest of the way because of how dangerous the area would be. He did not want to take a chance on Vex or Fallen picking up on their location. There were two caves that Joseph checked out quickly along the way to make sure they were vacant. Not seeing any sign of enemies he continued to lead Victoria down the coast. Only one problem he didn't see coming was a hidden tunnel inside the last cave he had checked out. It wasn't the hidden tunnel, but the Fallen patrol that were hidden inside that were the real issue and theywere now alerted to Joseph and Victorias presence.

The attack happened faster than Joseph or his ghost could detect it. They were up on the lower ledge of the shattered coast where there was a drop that plummeted down into the Ocean. They had to climb up to the top ledge and so Joseph had Victoria climb ahead of him to catch her should she slip. He watched as Victoria disappeared over the upper ledge and ordered her to stay put as he made his way up. He knew he could jump up the rest of the way but to do so could attract unwanted attention. Little did he know it was too late.

Suddenly Victoria screamed and Joseph not hesitating one second made his jump, scout rifle already out and ready for business. Unfortunately for Joseph these particular Fallen were too quick and clever. Before he could even land shrapnel pierced his shoulder and Joseph found himself in what seemed to be a slow fall as the rifle slid from his grip and there was another blast of pain as another piece of shrapnel was embedded into his side. The last image he remembered seeing as he fell was Victoria screaming his name and fear written all over her face. A tall imposing Fallen captain of the House of Winter stood in front of her with a shrapnel launcher pointed right at him. What particularly irked him was that Victoria was not being attacked but instead appeared to be restrained by two dregs, one of whom hissed in his direction. The other he did not fail to notice was very odd for a Fallen dreg. His eyes met with Josephs and before blacking out he swore he saw a hint of guilt in the dregs eyes. His vision went black, he felt himself falling, and last thing he heard before completely losing consciousness was Victoria still screaming his name amidst various Fallen growls, hissing, chattering, and other such noises that made up the strange Fallen language.

Victoria had no idea that Joseph would survive this ordeal. What she saw was a friend dear as a brother falling in what appeared to be his last moments alive. That and the fear from the fact that she was now in the hands of a Fallen patrol put her in complete shock. She stared after the ledge until a large foreboding figure loomed over her, blocking her vision. Trying to choke back tears that were already streaming down her face she looked up to see a large Fallen captain. She was frightened by him and wondered when he would deal her a death blow. Death did not come and instead she listened as he gruffly spoke a strange language while growling at the smaller Fallen around her. She noticed they seemed intimidated by him and were listening intently to the language that she couldn't understand.

Looking to either side of her she noticed the dreg holding her left arm looked unsure. Just something about him struck her as odd for what behavior she had witnessed back on Earth and for what she was now witnessing among this ones comrades. Looking back toward the captain a vandal now came toward her with a rag. She was now to be blindfolded and this caused even more fear to course through her as she was blindly led away, having to depend on the two dregs on either side of her for guildance.

Victoria didnt think about how long it was taking to get to where they were going. She was focused more so on Joseph and the guilt she felt when she realized that had it not been for her absolutely wanting those last few samples of fern for the night that Joseph might still be alive and none of this would be happening. She did not even think about how tired she would be once the Fallen had reached their destination with her. In silence she thought deeply as she was guided by the two dregs. Watching Joseph being shot and falling to his death would change Victoria from here on out.

The journey suddenly ended and everything came to a stop. Victoria was suddenly jerked back into reality as she was forced down onto her knees. The rag that had been blinding her was pulled away from her and when she looked up she realized that she was staring straight into the face of terror itself. It might have been a dimly lit room but she knew by the looks of this Fallen that she was kneeling before none other but the Kell of the House of Winter, Draksis and that she must be inside the Winter ketch. She had heard Joseph speak about the bounty that had just been placed on him back at the tower. Glancing around at her surroundings she noticed she was surrounded by Fallen of every kind. There was growling, hissing and chattering coming from every corner of the noisy room. Apparently she was either a disappointment or really interesting. Victoria figured probably both judging by the curious stares from all around.

Looking back to Draksis she watched as he stood up and ascended down from his throne. As he walked toward her the captain that had captured her and his patrol backed away. Draksis stalked around her and as she followed his movements she realized he was studying her. The noisy chatter from all over the room continued and as she followed Draksis path around her she met a familiar face. It was the odd dreg that held her left arm. He looked as though he felt sorry for her. He wasn't at all what she expected to find in a Fallen warrior. She felt sorry for him as the captain whose patrol he was under growled menacingly at him and shoved him harshly as if to chastise the poor dreg.

Victoria looked back to Draksis feeling as if she had somehow gotten the poor strange dreg into trouble and didn't dare look to him again fearing that if she did he would be punished. Fallen or not Victoria was a caring soul to anyone she came across. Draksis now stood before her. The look in his eyes made Victoria shudder when she realized without a doubt it was pure evil and he seemed to be staring as though she was none other than some delightful new toy he could play around with and pick apart piece by piece. If that was the case then quick death by the hands of the captain that had captured her was the fate she would have liked to have had.

Draksis roared and the whole room fell silent. He spoke through various growls and the garbled words that Victoria couldn't understand. At some point through his speech to the whole room he pointed at her and Victoria almost thought she was being sentenced to some terrible death, perhaps even torture. No one reached for her and death didn't come. Victoria listened and watched intently as Draksis turned his attention to a different captain. This captain seemed to become agitated at whatever he was being ordered to do. As she watched she didn't ignore his exchanged glances with the poor strange dreg. She wondered if they were both being ordered to do something about her or if there was simply a connection between the two of them. Maybe they were brothers she wondered.

No sooner than Draksis returned to sitting on his throne was she seized by the obviously disgruntled captain. He took her by the arm with one of his lower arms and pulled her up, forcing her to stand. As he began to half lead, half drag Victoria away he was stopped by a low growl of words coming from Draksis. The captain turned to angrily glance at his Kell who as far as Victoria could tell was actually taunting the captain and his intentions did not favor kind jesting. Victoria dared to look right into Draksis eyes before being pulled away by the captain. Draksis seemed to sneer at her and without hesitation Victoria turned around and continued on with her new acquaintance.

At the entrance to the throne room they were met by the strange dreg that Victoria still felt bad for. The look he gave the captain as she was almost shoved into him was at most apologetic as for what Victoria could make of it. The dreg wasn't like any of the other Fallen that she had seen so far and unlike the other dreg that had held her other arm and the captain she was next to, his grip on her forearm was gentle and easy. They followed the captain down the hallway while Victoria went through the situation over and over in her mind. What was going to happen to her she wondered and why did they choose her of all people for whatever was in store.

**Well there is chapter 1 for you. Going to get busy on homework and then dinner and I will post chapter 2 when I can get to it. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we are at Chapter 2. You will get to see Victoria's take on what the Fallen are when they are not on the battlefield. Oh and you get to see what Fallen females are like(at the least what my thoughts of of them are like) **

Chapter 2

While they traveled through the different corridors of the ketch she listened to the captain and the meeker dreg make discussion in the Fallen language that she couldn't understand. Although she couldn't understand the language she could definitely pick up on their undertones, the undertone of annoyance coming from the captain being very prominent. The dreg sounded nearly sullen and cool. As far as she could tell they knew each other too deeply to just be comrades of the same army. They just had to be brothers Victoria figured.

If anyone had taken one glance at Victoria they would have said they were surprised by how well she was dealing with her current situation. The truth was that Victoria was still very scared and in shock on the inside. The reason she didn't try to escape was simple. It would do no good to try to run and would do no good to try to scream or freak out. No one would hear her scream and no one would currently be able to rescue her unless by some miracle Guardians happened to find and storm the ketch for the bounty placed on Draksis head. Whatever the Fallen of the House of Winter wanted from her it was definitely not something Victoria could get herself out of.

They exited the ketch and Victoria began to wonder exactly where it was that they were taking her. All around what seemed to her to be a canyon valley were captains, vandals, dregs, shanks, and servitors and each of them were performing different tasks. Victoria was in awe at how many were in the valley. She wondered how many were actually on Venus. The rest of the trip was relatively silent from there. They entered a series of caves and out of all the twists and turns they took they seemed to be continuously descending.

Victoria gasped once they came out into the open of a large cavern with many more connecting chambers and tunnels. It looked like an enormous plaza and then she realized it was an entire underground city. Her gasp must have intrigued both the captain and the dreg. When Victoria realized they had stopped in their tracks she stopped eyeing the city and nearly turned red with embarrassment. Both the captain and dreg were curiously watching her now and with her eyes wide open and mouth gapped apart she was sure they were waiting for her to start having a seizure or completely faint.

"I'm ok." Victoria said although she was sure they would not know what she saying. To add to her reassurance she patted her chest with her free arm and tilted her head forward.

Captain and dreg both cocked their heads to the side and Victoria was surprised she was even having to choke back a giggle at this moment. They reminded her of the way a dog would sometimes cock its head when it was trying to comprehend something. When the two Fallen looked at each other questioningly Victoria decided she would have to repeat herself with further reassurance.

"I'm ok. I'm fine." Victoria said and this time she looked directly into the dregs eyes as she patted her chest and tilted her head down.

The dreg seemed to get it and looking back at the captain he spoke the jumbled mess of Fallen language and this time they continued onward to their destination.

They had to cut across part of the plaza to reach one of the tunnels. It took several minutes to even get across the wide chasm. Victoria suddenly felt self-conscious about herself because from every side of the trio, various Fallen individuals were staring curiously at her and watching intently. She wondered if any of them had seen a human before. She then realized that some of these Fallen were smaller in stature and built a little differently. When she took a closer look as some of them crept forward to get a closer look at her in return she realized she was seeing what was the female of the Fallen and various children.

They wore no armor and Victoria wondered if she was the first human to ever see a female Fallen and children. Their skin was dark in color and the hair on their heads was reminiscent of a Mohawk with the females wearing theirs long and beautiful. The females also wore beautiful long flowing dresses whereas the young males seemed to be in various shirts and pants, some of them even had jackets over their dresses and shirts. To Victoria they were actually beautiful. The females in fact were very similar in body shape to other humanoid women. The only differences of course was their hair, face, and their feet and hands.

She noticed the females lacked a second pair of arms altogether whereas she had noticed that captains and vandals all had two sets. She remembered Joseph telling her about how the Fallen dregs were prevented from having two sets of arms, only able to allow them to grow once they have become vandals, or so that was what everyone assumed as they had only observed this from their encounters of them in battle. She wondered if it was something to do with only those who were soldiers. All of the younger males she noticed had no second set of arms and some of them were already at the start of formation except were docked off to prevent further growth. She noticed the dreg that had a hold of her arm also had a pair of docked off stubs. Her one question now was if all males had to enter into the Fallen army.

They had entered through one of the nearby tunnels and had been traveling down the tunnel for no more than about three minutes when they finally made a right turn down one of the connecting tunnels she had noticed. It only took a few minutes before the tunnel opened up into an immense cul-de-sac with what looked like a dwelling built into the back wall. There seemed to be some kind of make shift garden in front of the dwelling as well as rich looking vegetation all over, and when Victoria looked up there was what appeared to be a large pillar with glowing light coming off of it. The light all throughout the cave tunnels was very faint but she could still see and this made Victoria wonder if fallen had more use for light than what was originally thought. The fact that it was a faint light gave her the thought that perhaps they really did prefer the dark but like all things there was legitimate use for it that they couldn't live without.

The captain and the dreg led her inside the dwelling where Victoria was astonished at the marvelous décor about the place and at how large the dwelling actually was. They stopped just inside the door in the main room. The captain then made some sort of loud call. It sounded softer than usual and Victoria couldn't understand why until the figure of an older Fallen female appeared up at the top the stairs to the second story of the huge mansion like dwelling. She was much older and her movements were very graceful as she descended the stairs. Her beautiful Mohawk of long hair was off to one side of her head and cascaded down the side of her chest with streaks of grey adorning it beautifully.

When the captain and the dreg both took off their helmets she was in awe of the proper etiquette they were displaying out of respect for the Fallen female. Once she had reached the bottom of the stairs the captain walked forward and Victoria noticed that the older Fallen female offered a clawed hand up to him which he proceeded to take and he knelt to touch his forehead to the back of her hand before murmuring a word that she could definitely make out as a term of endearment. The Fallen female nodded in approval and looked very pleased and almost seemed proud as she placed the other clawed hand on the side of the captain's face and proceeded to walk around the captain and called out what Victoria assumed was a name. Victoria played with the word in her mind over and over as the Fallen female made her way closer and appeared very curious of her. The word was almost simple but she noticed when the female had spoken it the dreg became more attentive. It was certainly his name Victoria had decided. Skaylsis. The female had said it with a very fond tone and only when she had touched the seemingly soft hearted dreg on the side of his face with a clawed hand did she realize that this elder female must be their mother. She was pleased on the inside that she had put the pieces together. Yes this must be their mother and they of course are brothers.

The dreg seemed very relaxed by the elder female's presence and looked as though he was comforted by her gentle touch to his cheek. Looking to the captain however, Victoria noticed he more so had the look of a concerned and stressed son. Maybe he was the older of the two she wondered. If this was indeed a family she wondered where the patron of this family was. If their family somehow had something to do with what was going to happen to her then where was the patron? Shouldn't he have been here? Victoria then wondered if perhaps something had happened to him. Something that would have been very unfortunate leaving the older brother in charge of the family, hence his stressed appearance. It must not be easy having a high standing whether it be over family or over your own patrol. Victoria didn't know the reason the captain was so stressed but whatever it was she suddenly felt very sorry for him. They might be enemies but seeing the little bit of Fallen life that she had seen they seemed more like people to her than just dangerous aliens. He could be stressed over anything and all Victoria could do was think of possible scenarios in her head.

The Fallen family seemed to chat back and forth as Victoria watched the elder female curiously walking around her in much the same way Draksis had. This time she didn't feel threatened one bit or intimidated. The elder female moved gracefully and seemed very gentle. Victoria almost felt as though she was in the presence of her own mother. Once she stopped just in front of her Victoria drew in a surprised breath and stiffened as the elder female unexpectedly reached up and touched her face with her clawed hand. She noticed Victoria stiffen up and looking right into her eyes she gently uttered a soothing word that Victoria immediately knew to be the elder females attempt to calm her. Victoria relaxed and began breathing again as the elder female continued to talk to her sons while exploring Victoria's facial features and hair. She then ran a hand down Victoria's arm and tapped the dregs hand. The dreg let go and there Victoria stood with the elder female now grasping her own hand. She looked up and noticed the captain was intently watching them. She couldn't blame him one bit. Even though she was a mere smaller female human, who was not a Guardian, she could tell he would do anything to protect his mother the elder female and probably also his brother the dreg. The captain turned his head to her as he met Victoria's curious gaze and she looked away quickly.

The female gently placed her other hand on Victoria's chin and lifted her head up to look into her eyes once again. Victoria stayed silent and waiting to see what was next. The elder female then placed a hand on her own chest and said, "Scalnora."

Victoria listened closely as she repeated herself a couple of more times. She then realized that the elder female was attempting to introduce herself.

Victoria took a chance and being very careful raised her own hand and steadily and slowly reached forward and touched the elder female on the shoulder. The elder female didn't move. She didn't have a worry in the world with her two sons within reach to protect her.

"Scalnora." The name rolled off Victoria's tongue very lightly and the elder female looked very pleased. She looked to the dreg and placed her clawed hand on his shoulder and looking back at Victoria she then said, "Skaylsis."

Victoria knew then that she had been correct in her assumption. This tender dreg was actually named Skaylsis. Victoria met his eyes and he nodded at her as if in respect.

Scalnora still looking pleased turned toward the captain and still holding Victoria's hand, led her to him. Victoria felt her adrenaline rush. The captain honestly scared her. He was so tall, masculine, and a little intimidating that she felt if she was to make any wrong move he would have his hands around her throat in no time. Victoria's eyes widened in fear as her heart beat sped up. Scalnora could feel Victoria's reluctance and stopped in her tracks to see that she was as far back as she could be while her hand was still captive. Scalnora looked back to her eldest son the captain who could only look at her and shrug confusingly. It was when Scalnora got a certain look in her eyes that he raised one eyebrow very suspiciously. Then very swiftly she grabbed his clawed hand and all the sudden the captain became just a little alarmed. Just what did his mother have in mind?

Uttering the same soothing word as she turned and looked directly into Victoria's eyes she placed Victoria's hand in the captain's large clawed one. Victoria was still very frightened by him and couldn't tear her wide alarmed eyes off of him as she stood back as far as she could. The captain gave his mother a look of shock and then looked down at Victoria's small hand in his. The captain looked back at his mother and Victoria continued to stare at him with her eyes wide in alarm and her heart beating hard beneath her chest out of fear. He began speaking in the strange Fallen language and judging by his tone of voice he was a little annoyed with Scalnora's little stunt. Scalnora argued with him from what Victoria could tell until the captain gave a huge sigh and looked back at Victoria, meeting her alarmed stare with his obviously agitated one.

The captain's demeanor suddenly changed the moment he saw exactly what his mother had been arguing with him about. This human woman, small in stature compared to him, was very frightened and after being taken from her own kind to be secluded for who knew how long among strange aliens that she couldn't even understand, she was probably also in shock. He was not making this any easier by being intimidating and also the fact that his kind was known for killing humans out on Fallen patrols was something to be feared by a mere simple human. She knew nothing about his kind at all and would be under the care of his mother for as long as Draksis allowed her to live. She was here all because Draksis wanted to study humans and a female he figured would be so much easier to keep under submission. The fact that she just happened to be a human female that was not a Guardian was an added bonus.

The captain may have been a notable warrior out on the battlefield and probably wouldn't have hesitated in killing her out there, but in this situation things were quickly complicated and very different. Draksis was continuing to surprise his house by slowly unraveling their Fallen moral and disgracing their noble heritage. Bringing a human woman into the Fallen house for study as a mere pet or even experiment was going past boundaries that made many Fallen in the House of Winter very uncomfortable. They may be a militant race of beings but they were not cruel to the point of torture and the unfathomable. They had their dignity and would have rather killed Victoria than bring her into what was presumably a nightmare for her.

Scalnora had been assigned to look after the human female and even teach her to speak their language. Scalnora, like most Fallen, was decent honorable being and as this human woman was also an intelligent species she was not about to treat her like a common animal. This human like all humans had never seen a Fallen that wasn't in armor or on the battlefield and therefore had no real knowledge about the heart of them. No this human woman was to be treated with the respect any living thing deserved whether she was of the enemy or not. It was not her fault for this constant war with the humans that started so long ago. She was to be a guest while living with the Fallen, even though Scalnora knew this human woman would never see another human again in all the days that Draksis remained on his throne. She may not even live for long if Scalnora didn't perform her duty well and began teaching her to speak the Fallen language. She shuddered to think about what terrible cruel things Draksis might do to a human should she not take care to ensure this human did as she was supposed to do. To Scalnora, Draksis was going against everything the Fallen held as honorable when he decided to obtain a human pet and study her like a science project. He was already on the line but this horrible deed had surpassed it.

Victoria watched the captain's facial expression change from one of annoyance and agitation to one of pity and she saw in him the look of someone who was sincerely apologetic. He was no less an intimidating Fallen or no less the hardened soldier that she could tell he was, yet this reaction to whatever scolding his mother had just given him led her to believe the Fallen were more moral than any human could so far comprehend being as they only knew them from the battlegrounds. Victoria began to slowly relax and felt a hand on her back pushing her gently forward a little bit. Looking back she saw it was Skaylsis who had pushed her forward. He nodded and seemed to be amused from the look of his eyes. Victoria turned and noticed she was now within just about a couple of feet away from the captain. It was extremely close as far as she was concerned and made her nervous.

The captain glanced at Scalnora who placed a hand on his shoulder and then said, "Tyalk."

Victoria was no longer afraid of him now that she had saw the true character of this Fallen family. She repeated after Scalnora, "Tyalk."

Tyalk looked back to his mother who looked very pleased. She had the all-knowing look on her face as if to tell him, 'I told you so.'

Victoria could tell Scalnora was very pleased and then suddenly she noticed all three Fallen were looking at her as though they were expecting something from her and then it hit her. They were waiting for her name.

Lifting her free hand to her chest she looked at Scalnora and said her name, "Victoria."

Scalnora seemed very delighted as she repeated the name, "Victoria." And looking to each other all three repeated the name easily. Victoria felt very amused by them. They were everything she expected and yet at the same time they were not at all what she expected.

Tyalk looked back at Victoria and gently released his hold on her hand. She was definitely no threat to them. He felt slightly bad that she had to be here. Victoria understood the reason for Scalnora's little stunt. She had placed Victoria's hand in Tyalk's to show her that he wasn't anyone to be afraid of. She definitely received a great deal of respect from her sons. There may not be females in the Fallen army but Victoria definitely figured that they commanded a lot of respect from the males regardless.

Scalnora spoke to her sons briefly while Victoria looked around the immense mansion of a dwelling taking in the differences from their world and hers. There were hardly any seats around so standing was probably the norm. There was a lot of décor about the house suggesting these people did have a definite culture. She also saw what looked like bookshelves and various sizes and shapes of tables. There were also many gadgets and other such things that she didn't know what they were.

Victoria was snapped out of her curiosity when Scalnora took her hand and led her up the stairs to the second story. Although she chatted all the way, Victoria could not understand a single word she was saying but listened regardless. At the top of the stairs she looked back to see if Skaylsis and Tyalk were following them, but found that they were staying put, watching the two ladies ascend the stairs. Scalnora led her to the end of the hall at the top of the stairs. There was faint light that eradiated through the corners of the ceiling where it met with the walls so Victoria could definitely see where they were going. At the end of the hall Scalnora led her through a door and into what appeared to be a bedroom.

There was from what Victoria could tell was a closet door and a vanity as well as a chest of drawers and a bed. All of the furniture except for the bed was made from a gold looking metal and looked just a little different than what she was used to but she could tell that these were the same items. The vanity even had a mirror likeness to it but it seemed very odd. Upon closer inspection as she walked up to it, she realized it was a liquid substance of some kind but it was not made of glass. She found that the door did open up into a closet after Scalnora chattered some and opened it for her to look into. The bed was simple, beautiful deep purple, and actually had a sheet and a sort of pillow that was very firm.

Once Victoria was finished looking about the room she turned to look at Scalnora who was standing in the door. She watched as Scalnora motioned toward the room with her hand outstretched and said, "Victoria."

The message was simple. The room was for Victoria. She wondered why she was being given a room. Suddenly fatigue overwhelmed her and Victoria noticeably yawned while Scalnora watched. Scalnora pointed to the bed and after she was sure that Victoria had understood, she walked out and shut the bedroom door behind her. Victoria was so tired after the long journey on foot to the ketch and through the underground caves as well as the immense stress from her shock. Reluctantly, yet all the same thankful, she took off her flats and her jacket, and lay down on the bed finding it so easy to slip off to a deep sleep. Why were the Fallen treating her like this? It was so strange and slightly unnerving to Victoria.


	3. Chapter 3

**So sorry the third chapter took so long but here it finally is! You get to meet Tyalk and Victoria's children for the first time. Hope it is satisfactory. May have made some punctuation errors. I typed it up while I was sick so I was a little gunky in the head. I corrected what mistakes I could tell were there. Still in practice so might still be a few mistakes but had definitely been edited since I last posted it up. **

"Mother!" A familiar concerned voice called out through the memories.

Victoria yawned as she sat up. She had fallen asleep on a padded bench that sat in the midst of the garden. A warm and delightful sight to her eyes, Juleni knelt before his mother, a clawed hand gently placed on her arm to awaken her.

Juleni was tall and imposing like his father. He resembled a human in the majority of his physical features, but small differences were definitely recognizable. His black hair, for example, grew out in the Fallen mohawk unlike the human's type of hair, which covered their entire scalp. Juleni also had human eyes that were dark blue like his mother's, yet just behind his human eyes sat a second pair of glowing blue Fallen eyes. Juleni's dark blue human eyes also held the same glow as his Fallen set of eyes. Juleni also had sharp Fallen teeth lining his mouth and Fallen claws on his hands. If Juleni brought them in front of him, the biggest indicator of his Fallen genetics was his second set of arms, which he kept under his cloak the majority of the time. In some ways Victoria swore her dear children resembled mythical vampires more so than Fallen or humans.

Victoria sat up and grabbed her son's warm hand with her small delicate one. Juleni smiled at this. She was so beautiful and seemed so delicate that at times that Juleni felt as if he would break her when he embraced her. She didn't exactly look her age, nor did she seem like the much tougher woman he knew she was on the inside. A mere stranger or acquaintance would definitely only see, standing right in front of them, a simple Lady of the House of Rogues.

"Mom. Are you alright?" Juleni asked her. His dark blue glowing eyes gave away his concern and worry. On the battlefield he was not allowed to show such emotion, but here with his family things were much different.

Victoria placed her other hand on her grown son's cheek. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his forehead as she had done so many times since the night he was born.

"I am fine my dear. Please don't worry about me so much. Despite the circumstance I am in, I assure you I am not going to fall apart before your eyes or while you are away on patrol." She proclaimed as she stood up in front of her kneeling son.

Juleni stared up at the wonder woman who was his own mother. He hid his concern behind a sharp vampiric smile that he flashed at her to ease her stress. He knew she was a little annoyed with everyone staying on her heels and keeping their eyes on her. Her circumstance dealt with her health and if they did not receive good news from the doctor soon, the stress would grow and everyone would be anxious. Victoria had been in fact, battling a new type of cancer that had been very difficult to treat. The majority of cancers that existed could be cured easily these days, but this current cancer was very stubborn. It was also very slow in progression, which allowed for precious time. There was now a cure, but the chances of the cure working were very iffy. The fact that it was also a rare cancer did not help matters much. A big comfort to Victoria had been that she would never have to watch her children go through the same health problems as they had inherited the Fallen immune system, which was much stronger than any human immune system.

Juleni stood up and allowed his mother to wrap her arms around him and in return he embraced her much smaller frame. Victoria only came up to her son's chest in height, which didn't surprise her one bit. She also knew that while he was definitely tall and imposing upon any potential enemy that this large hybrid could be just as cuddly as a teddy bear when he wanted to be. There were many nights that she had spent with him snuggled up in bed with her despite Tyalk's opposition to this "human" custom. Tyalk may have scoffed at her "human" customs at times, but she knew he was proud of how Juleni had turned out to be. All her snuggling and coddling him while he grew up didn't hinder his Fallen characteristics and personality one bit.

With a deep sigh Juleni replied, "I know you are a strong woman Mom. You are a very well respected elder Matron of the House of Rogues, but do not forget that you can always depend on us, your family, to lean on. Uncle Skaylsis was very concerned about you this morning. He said you was very far off in your mind."

Hearing Juleni speak of Skaylsis soft side made her smile as she leaned into his warm supportive chest. Skaylsis was always this way when it came to her. He was more a brother than anyone could ever imagine. He was a best friend that Victoria had come to cherish very deeply.

"Your Uncle, always worrying these days. The great mighty Kell of ours who sits on his throne worrying about a human!" Victoria said sarcastically and rolled her eyes as she looked up at her son.

Juleni flashed a grin down at her and escorted her out of the garden. It was time to meet up with family for dinner in the family dining room which was separate from the dining hall where the majority of the servants and guards met for their meals.

Once they arrived in the dining room they were greeted by most of the family who were already seated. Juleni's pregnant human wife, Bodecia greeted him with a kiss as he sat down beside her. Atlanta the eldest daughter smiled at her mother while the middle child, Atlas, simply looked at her in distain as the two youngest siblings, Tyalsis and Scalnoren, quarreled on either side of him. The scene was already one of many that had taken place before around the family dinner table which included Skaylsis noticeably trying to painfully hold back his chortling at the scattered scene in front of him and Tyalk usually half growling or half roaring, depending on what the quarrel was about, for everyone to behave themselves or simply growling at Skaylsis for finding humor in it all because sometimes Skaylsis himself was the cause of all the arguing or disarray.

On this night, Tyalk did not have to say anything to settle his family down before dinner was served. Atlas simply placed a hand on both Tyalsis and Scalnoren's shoulders and once they looked up to see their dear mother they immediately grew quiet. Being teenagers at the ages of 16 and 14, they were the transition between childhood and adulthood and known to break out into little tiffs between each other, but they knew that this night was an important night for all of them. It would be the last night for a couple of a months that their loving mother would not be home to eat dinner with them until after they learned whether she was cured of her cancer or not. In the morning she would be leaving for the Tower, a city on Earth that they had all heard about but none of them except for Juleni, their father and Uncle Skaylsis, aside from their mother had actually seen it or been on it. The tower was where Victoria would be living for the two months that she needed to undergo treatment for the cancer and this was the reason she was wondering in her memories, for it would determine whether she lived or whether her life would be limited after the treatment.

Tyalk moved forward and offered his hand to Victoria. She gave him a knowing smile that told him that she knew how he really felt, yet on the other hand also reassured him that she would be fine. He truly cherished his wife and although outwardly he did not show it very often in public, Victoria knew who he really was on the inside and she knew he was feeling the worry more than any of them seated at the dinner table that night. Before letting go of her hand, Tyalk bowed to her and touched his forehead to the back of her hand, nuzzling her hand with his cheek, which made everyone stifle a breath out of near shock. Such a gesture was a show of affection between family members and more notably between a wife and husband, father and daughter, and mother and son. Tyalk was not known among the family to be very revealing in affection towards Victoria in public, yet showing her such affection in the family dining room in front of the palace servants and armed guards revealed to them all the inner turmoil that was present, but also hidden from view.

A tear almost escaped Victoria's eye as she watched Tyalk seat himself next to her after letting go of her hand. Tyalk was hard for everyone to read, except for Victoria and Skaylsis. Skaylsis was even shocked at his older brother's actions at the dinner table on this night. He knew better than anyone that Tyalk truly loved Victoria. It may not have started out this way, but the relationship that had grown was a very deep love and tight bond that would not break. Victoria was his everything and Tyalk showing her affection in public showed that deep inside Tyalk was actually afraid to lose her should the treatments she received at the Tower fail her.

More memories surfaced as the dinner was served.

The day after she had been captured turned out to be a confusing day. This confusion started when she had woken up for the first time in the cave room. She woke up not knowing what time it was. Everything was naturally dark when there were no glowing or blaring lights on anything or in any room. She woke up after dreaming about Joseph. She could see him getting shot and falling to his death and although she never saw him actually die, all she could feel was despair and guilt. She had woken up crying as quietly as she could as to not disturb anyone. Her mind was filled with questions. She was confused as well as feeling scared. She was among strangers and even worse was the fact that these strangers were Fallen enemies. She wondered why she had not been killed and why she had been brought here and given a room. All of her emotions came flooding out and suddenly she could not stay quiet under all the stress.

Victoria sat up against the headboard and buried her head into her pillow, which was surprisingly very soft. Her sobs were long and pitiful and soon the door had opened and there was Scalnora with another female who stood in the doorway as Scalnora immediately walked over to the side of the bed. She hesitated only a moment before she called out to Skaylsis who didn't take long to appear inside the doorway.

"What exactly happened when she was captured? Did Craiss or anyone else in his patrol hurt her?" Scalnora asked as she sat on the side of the bed slowly. Victoria did not pay attention to her or even look up.

Scalnora knew that Skaylsis had been in the Fallen patrol that had captured this young human female who was called Victoria. She also knew that the Fallen Captain, Craiss, who had been in control of Skaylsis' patrol was not a Fallen that any human would want to come across, nor would very many Fallen would want to either. Craiss was very mean spirited and cruel when it came to just about anyone who fell short of his high standards and expectations. Scalnora had grown up with Craiss and just as she couldn't stand the thought of Draksis, she also couldn't stand the thought of Craiss. Both Fallen males were equally heartless.

Skaylsis watched his mother take a hand and reach for Victoria's pillow. As she pulled the pillow away from the young human woman's face, Victoria just covered her face back up with her hands. Scalnora sat the pillow down and gently pried Victoria's hands away from her face. Victoria suddenly realized that Scalnora was sitting on the bed beside her and stopped crying to look at her. Scalnora touched the tips of her fingers to Victoria's mouth and then brought the same hand up to Victoria's hair to gently run it down the lovely raven colored locks. In time she would teach this young human woman to understand and speak the Fallen language, but for now she would do her best to try and keep Victoria comfortable and take care of her. Victoria seemed to understand that this gesture was meant to comfort her. Scalnora definitely fit the definition of a nurturing mother.

Skaylsis replied while remaining in the doorway, "I did watch as he killed her male companion. They were climbing up a ledge and as soon as she was up, the Vandals seized her immediately. As I held onto her arm, Craiss shot the warlock as he leapt into the air. He was shot twice by the shrapnel launcher that Craiss was armed with and then fell to his death in the Venusian sea below the ledge."

Skaylsis looked down at the floor with disdain. He truly felt bad for Victoria. Human or not, she would never see another human while she lived here. He knew Draksis would never let her go.

Scalnora looked back to Victoria, clearly sympathetic, after hearing Skaylsis horrific account of how Victoria was captured.

"She saw it happen." Skaylsis added in while still looking at the floor.

Scalnora understood. She had also watched someone dear to her be killed mercilessly years ago. Whether he had been a sibling, friend or even a mate, this male companion must have been very important to Victoria for her to be so distraught. Scalnora took Victoria's shoulders and pushed her back down on the bed. Victoria did not fight her. She felt as though everything was lost. Scalnora knew that Victoria would be sulking for a few days and maybe even weeks. Someone dear to her had been horribly killed and she had nowhere else to go except here where she could not understand anyone and everyone was a stranger and a preconceived enemy.

Victoria kept her eyes closed as Scalnora covered her up and then just before she left the room with the servant and Skaylsis, she pressed a warm clawed hand to Victoria's cheek in true motherly fashion. Victoria, keeping her eyes closed, covered her head with the blanket and within a few short minutes she was fast asleep once again.

Scalnora led Skaylsis into the kitchen of the cave mansion. It was the middle of their sleeping cycle and she needed a cup of warm cave moss tea that sat atop one of the steam vents of the kitchen to remain heated, before going back to bed.

As she poured the tea she proclaimed, "I can't allow Draksis to hurt that poor female. I won't. I know what he is capable of and I will not allow her to be harmed as such."

Skaylsis looked up at her very inquisitively and wondered just what she was going to do to keep Draksis from harming Victoria. Scalnora was a well-respected elder Matron of the House of Winter, but she was still just a female. Females were only allowed a higher disposition if they happened to grow a second set of arms, otherwise they remained ladies and servants of the House. He had seen the female guardians with just one set of arms take down dozens of Fallen, so he knew, perhaps one day it would be possible for a female Fallen with only two arms to prove that all females could be equally adept in greater things. It was this type of thinking that made Skaylsis so vastly different and strange from all other Fallen.

"Just how will you be able to help her Mother? Pray tell would you?" Tyalk suddenly interjected as he came out of the shadows. He seemed a little annoyed at being woken up at such a late hour when he and Skaylsis had patrolling to see to in the morning hours.

Draksis had been very amused by Tyalk's annoyance and obvious aggravation earlier that day when he had commanded that Scalnora be the one to look after the new human pet of the House of Winter. Draksis had already made a mockery of Tyalk's family in years past while Tyalk was still at the ranking of Dreg. It wasn't enough that there was bad blood between Draksis and Tyalk's family, but also the fact that Skaylsis was not a typical Fallen and was constantly made fun of throughout the rest of the House, he was close to being exiled to Earth's moon if he did not shape up and conform his meandering ideals and attitude to true Fallen standards. It had caused enough of a rift between the two of them. Now they had to play host to a human female. The House was split between those who were loyal to Draksis and those who were gradually turning against him and Tyalk was sure that this new obsession with the human female would lose him even more followers.

Scalnora looked at her eldest son with concern. He had once been a very charming young Fallen male. He was the best of his class growing up and was one of the most successful captains to this day. He could have any Fallen female for a wife as it was a males choosing, yet a female's final approval in marriage. He was seen by the females as a very promising husband. As a matter of fact, Scalnora should have been made a proud grandmother long ago when Tyalk was just a Vandal. Once a Fallen male had earned the rank of Vandal they were allowed to seek a female to wife. Tyalk took no wives and Scalnora remained simply a mother. Tyalk was a hard core traditional Fallen, yet when children, especially male children, were essential to expand and uphold the House of Winter he remained without a fertile female.

Tyalk had changed. He was hardened both inside and outside. He was not cruel and nor was he the same charming young Fallen male she had once known. Scalnora also knew why. It was because of Draksis. He was responsible for the death of Scalnora's husband Tyalss, Tyalk and Skaylsis' father. Tyalk had been freshly promoted to the rank of Vandal when Draksis had killed Tyalss. It was because Scalnora had approved of Tyalss as a husband. Draksis had also wanted Scalnora for a wife but she had turned him down in disapproval. Draksis, to this day, remained angry with her. It was for this reason why Tyalk was so cold and why he had not taken a wife. Any wives of Tyalk's and Skaylsis or any children of theirs would be in possible danger should Draksis decide that Scalnora, Tyalk, or even Skaylsis needed further punishment.

Scalnora felt a little hurt at how little faith Tyalk had in her at that moment. She might not be in Draksis favor but she was also a highly respected elder Matron of the House of Winter and had loyals that were attentive to her more so than to Draksis. She looked at her concerned son in the eyes as he just leaned against the wall of the kitchen with both sets of his arms crossed waiting for her answer. Skaylsis just looked back and forth between his mother and his brother. He was definitely staying out of their way.

"I don't have a thought out plan. I will have to use my wit and utilize those who are loyal to our family." Scalnora said to Tyalk whose look changed from concern to deep thought.

Tyalk uncrossed his arms and turned to walk back up the stairs to his own room. He stopped as he reached the stairs and sighed as he replied, "I will do what I can to help you."

Scalnora watched proudly as Tyalk disappeared up the stairs and then looked at Skaylsis and gave him a sly triumphant smile. Yes, her sons were definitely loyal to her.


End file.
